Shoulder surgery may be a painful and traumatic procedure for many individuals. When undergoing shoulder surgery, the patient typically is placed in a gown made of paper or reusable cotton. While in a holding area before surgery, the surgical sight may be marked on the patient by the operative surgeon, thus requiring the shoulder skin to be exposed. The patient is then transported to the operating room to establish anesthesia. Once the patient is asleep, the gown is partially or fully removed to allow exposure of the operative shoulder for prep and drape. Thereafter, the surgery is performed, followed by application of a sterile dressing and a cooling device (e.g., ice pad), and placement of the shoulder in a sling or shoulder immobilizer.
After surgery, the patient typically has their gown draped over the operative shoulder. Unfortunately, the gown does not fit well over the cooling device and the sling or immobilizer. As such, the patient's chest wall is often times exposed during this time because of the ill fitting gown and the cooling device and the sling or immobilizer.
Unfortunately, the breast of the patient on the side of the operative shoulder is often times exposed to surgical staff before, during, and after surgery, and exposed to family and friends that are assisting the patient in their time of need following surgery. As such, women particularly feel vulnerable during shoulder surgery by having to expose their breasts, thus adding further anxiety to the overall procedure.
For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.